The boys are both doing great in school. Both have been moved up during this school year to more advanced math classes--guess they must have a knack for numbers! Neither are playing any sports right now, but they continue to enjoy band and playing their instruments. Christopher will march for the first time in the Memorial Day Parade. They're still both into video games and can't wait for the new Star Wars movie to hit the big screens next month!
Scott has recently changed jobs, but he is still working for RBC Ministries. RBC recently joined with another ministry, Walk in the Word out of Chicago with James MacDonald. He brings with him, Joe Stowell, former president of Moody Bible Institute. Scott is the new Project Manager for Walk in the Word in our Grand Rapids (they still have some operations in the Chicago Area). He has been doing his new job for about 6 weeks now, and has really been enjoying it. One of the parts of Scott's old job that he will miss is working with the Military Ministriesorganization. We just got back from a truly incredible weekend conference that they invited us to...more on that in another post.
I continue to work part-time on the RBC switchboard and work on growing my Web Design Business. I have several new clients since my last writing. There are also a few sites that you won't see listed there, as they are still in the early stages of construction. I started a News section on my business site, so clients and friends can keep up with the happenings of Dramatic Design, along with an email newsletter. I also recently attended a seminar that the Chamber hosted with Tony Rubleski, who is an expert in the area of marketing for small businesses. It was very insightful.
Grandpa's Alzheimer's continues to progress to the latter stages of the disease. It is very hard for him to walk or move without assistance, and he struggles with sundowning and hallucinations. Grandma spent much of the winter struggling with physical issues. She had pneumonia twice and the second time it really took her down--for about 3 weeks. The doctor was about ready to put her in the hospital for IV antibiotics when she finally turned the corner. And, as can be expected, she has to deal with the sadness of seeing Grandpa's decline, as do we all. Grandma really appreciates it whenever she gets a call or note from a friend or family member.
Well, those are the updates...not as brief as I intended, of course. For the most part, things are going pretty well. In times of struggles, I (many times) turn to inspirational music. One song that particularly means a lot to me is Life is Hard (God is Good). The lyrics are:
You turn the key
Then close the door behind you
Drop your bags on the floor
You reach for the light
But there's darkness deep in side
And you can't take it anymore
'Cause sometimes living takes the life out of you
And sometimes living is all you do
Life is hard, the world is cold
We're barely young and then we're old
But every falling tear is always understood
Yes, life is hard, but God is good
You start to cry
'Cause you've been strong too long
And that's not how you feel
You try to pray
But there's nothing left to say
So you just quietly kneel
In the silence of all that you face
God will give you His mercy and grace
Jesus never said
It was an easy road to travel
He only said that you would never be alone
So when your last thread of hope
Begins to come unraveled
Don't give up
He walks beside you
On this journey home and He knows
(CHORUS)
posted by Kim # 12:17 PM 
